Recently, I caught up with Nadia Calhoun! She is a filmmaker, actor, writer, author, producer, and director. When it comes to film, she is diving in on all aspects of the craft so brilliantly! Nadia is truly impactful. She is telling necessary and relatable stories through her lens and the lens of many that need to be told. She is tapping into her God-given talents and using them to be of service to others. You can watch her work in “I Loved U More”, “Untamed”, “M.O.E.T.” and more, which can be seen on Tubi! I received the opportunity to interview her! Check it out below!

Where are you from? 

I am from Detroit, to be specific the Eastside of Detroit. 

What sparked your interest in becoming an actor and filmmaker? 

My mother always tells me the story of when she and my father used to sing to me when I was no more than 6 months old, and I would sing it right back to them. My parents play a huge part in who I am because they are very entertaining individuals; there is never a dull moment when you’re around them! They have always allowed me to entertain and express myself through the arts and drama. Performing and entertaining for my family, friends, and peers, whether it was singing, dancing, writing songs, or acting, has always been who I am. My interest in the arts has always come naturally, and if I’m not creating, it feels like something is missing. 

I heard you speak about serving in regards to how you began and how it’s imperative to be of service when it comes to working in the different areas of film, which can be applied to whatever field we work in during this life. It spoke volumes to me and was truly thought-provoking! If we love and are passionate about our crafts, specifically film, how important do you feel it is to learn all aspects and a variety of skills about the field? 

It is extremely important to learn all aspects and a variety of skills about the field because you never know what role you will have to play in this industry. You have to be prepared not only for yourself but for anyone God sends to you who could be reaching out for assistance or help. Business-wise, being skilled creates value; having multiple skills could lead to someone bringing your name up in rooms that you may think you don’t even qualify for. All because you decided to step outside of the norm and not put limits on yourself. My brain is like a sponge; I love to learn new things. And by creating, producing, and funding my own film, I was able to budget wisely. I was the lead actress, producer, writer, co-director, location scout, my own makeup artist, props specialist, and casting director. If I didn’t have those basic skills, I would have never been able to release “I Loved U More”, But God!

Let’s talk about “I Loved U More”. Amazing! What’s the inspiration behind this film? How did you prepare for the role of “Lauren”?

Thank you so much. It was literally all God and the mindset that I always stick to by turning my pain into something positive. “I Loved U More” started out as a writing piece that I began writing when I was going through some very hard times during my past marriage at the time. It was created out of the pain that I endured during the course of it. I let the script sit for about a year because I really didn’t think I was going to ever do anything with it. Then the pandemic hit, and my now-ex-husband and I ended up separating during the pandemic. I fell into a depression for like a month or so. And I was so afraid that I wouldn’t even be able to crawl out of that dark place to be mentally stable enough for my son. That is how bad it was, and everyone knows my son is my pride and joy. I was laid off from work due to the pandemic, which gave me so much needed time for my mental and to get back to what I loved the most, which was creating. But I wanted to create my own opportunity by getting into the entertainment industry because I haven’t taken an acting job in over 4 years. So I decided to open up all of my uncompleted scripts, and “I Loved U More” was the only one that gave me motivation to write. Dig This, “I Loved U More”, was only supposed to be just a short film project to see what I could do with finally bringing one of my scripts to life. I never intended for it to be a feature film. One of my film peers, “Beasy Jones”, who was assisting me at the time, told me if I had more money, I should add more scenes and make it a feature film. And that’s just what I did. 

Preparing for Lauren was difficult, in a sense, because she was Nadia. And I had to decide if I was really ready to face Lauren because it reminded me of the pain that I was enduring at the moment. I was experiencing the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life. Three days before production, I received paternity results from someone who was pregnant by my husband, and the results revealed that he was the father of the child she was carrying. Every emotion that was felt in “I Loved U More” was everything I’ve endured and was enduring in that current moment. 

You wear so many beautiful hats! How did you balance acting while also co-directing this film? 

Preparation and being organized were the keys! During pre-production, I made sure that I planned very carefully so that when I got to set, I could just pass the job over to my production assistants. I’m not going to even hold you up; it was extremely challenging because I’m very hands-on! But with the help of my cast and crew, we were able to get it done. I was also extremely blessed to have Kamal Smith, Al Martin, and Kyle Morgan by my side during this entire project because, when I couldn’t direct, they took charge. I don’t ever think that I would wear those many hats again while acting because it was very stressful. I like to be more relaxed and focused when I’m acting so that I can phone in on the character completely. But I must say that wearing all of those hats allowed me to make mistakes that I can honestly say I’m grateful for! Through wearing those beautiful hats, I learned so much. 

When you’re not busy, how are you practicing self-care?

When I’m not busy, my self-care is cutting out the world, spending more time with my heavenly father through prayer and fasting. I also love love love love massages, spending time with my son, reading, and watching movies. I have now found a new hobby, and that’s gardening. I wish I could travel and take more vacations, but in due time.

What upcoming projects are you working on that we should look out for? 

Some upcoming projects that will be streaming soon are “Lies & Loyalty” by The Shoe Lady Tonja Ayers, “Ten Toes Down” by Janaya and Rockey Black, “One Woman’s Trash,” and “Glassmen Blvd” by Dakei Harvey. I am also back in the lab working on 3 of my own projects, and “I Loved U More 2” is one of them. I kept getting requests from viewers for Part 2, and I’m extremely excited about it!

Share your websites and any social media handles. 

My social media names on instagram is  @I_believebynadia and @Ibelieveproductions.

Facebook: Nadia Calhoun

Website: www.ibelieveproductions.org

And Be sure to grab a copy of her book! https://www.amazon.com/Miracles-During-Imperfections-Crackbabys-Journey/dp/0578441403

Before you go, drop a gem or some great advice for our readers out there. Feel free to say whatever compels you. I like to call this section UnpackingHer Thoughts. Let them know, Queen!

Whatever ideas, visions, or dreams God places inside of you, be obedient and share them with the world. Do not seek anyone’s approval because you are already qualified! Share your gifts with the world even when you have the slightest idea on where it would lead you. Our stories and what we go through are not for us to keep to ourselves; it is to help someone else! Even when you feel like nobody is standing with you, always know you have someone guiding you through this journey at all times! You are never alone. 

Thank you so much, Nadia!